St. Landry democrat., 1887-07-28
SENIOR CASTELAR,.
Pen Picture of the Famous Spanish Orator,
Publicist and Statesman.

! rope as really the most complete eX-
preston of Spanish eloluencc. He
carries his worship Of form almost to
ldolatry; his eloquencc is music, his
| iiction the slave of his ear. He says
Or does not say thing; on rather. he
says it better in one sense than in an
other, according as it rounds or does
not round period. He has harmony
! IN his mind; he follows, Obcys it, and
saritices 10 it all that otfends. His pc
rlods ale strophes; it is necessary to
hear in order to believe that human
language without poetic measure can
thus approach the harmony of poeSv
and of song. He is more the artist
than the politician; he has not only the
genius but the heart of the artist-the
heart of a child, incapable of cnmity
or of malice. In all his speeches there
is not to be found an abusive cpithct;
in the Cortes he has never pro-
voked serious personal encoun-
ter; has never recourse to a satire,
nor ever makes use of irony.
into his most violent philippics he never
infuses a drop of gall; and this is evil
dence of the fact that a Republican, an
opponent Of every ministry, IA Journal
istic gladiator, the perpetual accuser OF
whomsoever holds power and of all who
are not fanatical for liberty, he has
made himself hated by no one. And
with all this, his speeches are enjoyed
and never feared; his language is too
beautiful to be terrible, his character
too ingenious for him to exercise a po-
| litical influence. He does not know
how to fence, to plot, to trim his sails
he is fitted only to please and to shine.
His eloquence when greatest is tender;
his most beautiful diScourscs draw
tears. Far him the chamber is the
alter; like a political improvisation, in
order to have a full and calm inspira-
ton. he must speak at certain hour,
upon a determined point and with an
allotted time of liberty to himself For
this reason, the day on which he is to
speak he has an understanding with
the president Of the Chamber that his
turn will come when the galleries are
most crowded and all the deputies are
in their places, his own paper an
nouncing his speech the evening
previous, in order that ladies may
be able to provide themselves with
tickets. He has need of this excite
ment. Before speaking he is uneasy
and can not remain still for an instant.
He enters the Chamber, leaves it, re-
enters, turns to go out. takes the round
of the corridors and library, where he
turns over the leaves of a volume-in
a word, he is in fever of excitement.
1t seems to him as if he could not utter
syllable-that he must excite ridicule
and be Kissed In his mind no longer
remains a single lucid idea of his
speech; every thing is confused; every
thing forgotten. How is your pulse!'
his friends inquire of him. with a
smile. The supreme moment arrived,
he springs to the floor, with head bent,
pale and trembling, like a criminal
about to be executed, resi- ned to lose
in I, single moment the glory acquired
through so many years and with such
indefatigable labor. At this instant
an enemy even would compassionate
his condition. He rises, throws rapid
glance around him and speaks Sena-
tors" He is safe; his courage is re-
stored to him; his brains is again I'M
clouded! his speech rearranges itself in
his mind like long forgotten melody.
The president. the Cortes, the galleries
disappear; he sees only his gestures;
hears only his own voice; feels but the
irresistible flame that enkindlcs. the
force of his own matchless eloquence. 1t
is beautiful to hear him say of himself:
II do not see the walls of the apart
ment, even. l behold distant lands
and peoples which | have never seen
before He speaks for hours together,
and not a Deputy leaves the hall, not a
voice interrupts, not movement dis
tracts him. Not even when he violates
Parliamentary rules has the president
the courage to interrupt him. Clad in
robes of dazzling whteness and
crowned with roses, he portrays at will
the image of the Republic; and mon
archists do not venture to protest, for,
thus arrayed they even find her beauti-
full CASTELAR, is lord of the assembly.
He flashes and Eliminates, scintillatcs
and beams like feu artifice; he pro-
vokcs smile or he calls forth enthllsi-
astic shouts, ending in the midst of an
outburst of applause, and vanishing
from the Chamber with his head in the
clouds. Such is this famous Castelar,,
professor of history in the University,
a most prolific writer on politics, art
and religion, publicist who draws